What Happened To The Cast Of The Bernie Mac Show?

For five seasons, “The Bernie Mac Show” provided a hilarious and often heartwarming portrayal of fatherhood. The sitcom followed a fictionalized version of Mac, who still works as a stand-up comedian, but is thrust into fatherhood when he has to assume the parental duties over his two nieces and nephew. The premise is loosely based on real life, as Mac actually did have to look over his sister’s kid for a little bit. But in reality, Mac was a proud father to one daughter.

“The Bernie Mac Show” has an almost timeless quality to it, whether it’s the humor or the lessons learned. It was unlike any other sitcom at the time, or even today really, which makes sense when considering creator Larry Wilmore drew inspiration from French New Wave films like “The 400 Blows” when crafting the style. The show also featured Mac breaking the fourth wall to address the audience, lending the series a more meta nature.

The sitcom ended in 2006, and 20 years later, people are still enjoying Mac’s unconventional wisdom. But what has “The Bernie Mac Show” cast been up to since then? Well, America, here’s everything you need to know to stay in the loop.

Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, better known by his stage name of Bernie Mac, is, of course, the star of “The Bernie Mac Show.” However, you don’t get your name in a show title without being an established presence beforehand. Mac was one of the Original Kings of Comedy alongside Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey. He served as the family patriarch for all five seasons, and even though he was prone to threatening the kids from time to time, he retained a real soft spot for all of them.

Throughout the 2000s, Mac had quite the resume, even outside the Fox sitcom. He starred in “Ocean’s Eleven,” easily one of the best gambling movies of all time, as well as its sequels and other high-profile projects like “Bad Santa” and “Transformers.” Sadly, Mac died in 2008 due to complications from sarcoidosis, just two years after “The Bernie Mac Show” ended.

He may be gone, but Mac’s legacy lives on. Mac was featured in the Prime Video docuseries, “Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy,” which shines a spotlight on many famous Black comedians. And even though Mac’s real-life daughter, Je’Niece McCullough, stated she didn’t always appreciate being part of his stand-up acts in VICE’s “Black Comedy in America,” she still knew in her heart that to Mac, family was of the utmost importance.

It’s not easy going from zero kids to three in an instant. Bernie Mac may have been a hothead on the show, but he could always count on his wife, Wanda McCullough (Kellita Smith), to bring him back down to earth. She has far more patience than Bernie, but even she can have her limits tested when the kids (or Bernie) get out of line.

Following the ending of “The Bernie Mac Show,” she continued having a pretty stellar acting career. She played First Lady Katherine Johnson in the sitcom “The First Family,” a humorous take on the White House that sees the president juggle his patriotic duties with those of his family. People may also recognize Smith as Lieutenant Roberta Warren on the highly underrated zombie series, “Z Nation.”

“Z Nation” was a chance of pace for Smith, and she told Blavity that she actively wanted to step outside what she had been known for. “I was looking for opportunities to play a lead role that represented a strong and groundbreaking heroine,” she stated. “It was a very effortless move for me to make.”

Jeremy Suarez played Bernie’s nephew, Jordan Thomkins. He was definitely a geek who was gifted in school but had a lot of growing up to do emotionally. Over the course of “The Bernie Mac Show,” he grows up and comes into his own as a more mature teenager.

Despite starring in numerous films and TV shows, from “Jerry Maguire” to “Treasure Planet,” prior to getting on “The Bernie Mac Show,” he acted less frequently once the show ended. He did some voiceover work for “King of the Hill” and starred in “Extreme Movie” and “Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie.” But Suarez largely stepped away from Hollywood, as he told HYPE+ in 2023: “I always transitioned to a regular job and kind of lifestyle with a purpose of using that as like a fact-finding mission,” he said. “You go out, and you see all of this stuff. You take it, and you make all of those things part of you.”

He mentioned in that same interview how he’d like to get more into acting again, but it remains to be seen what gigs could be on the horizon for him. Perhaps there could be a spot for him in the “King of the Hill” revival coming to Hulu.

“The Bernie Mac Show” remains Dee Dee Davis’ most prominent acting gig to date. Starting in 2001, she played the baby of the family, Bryana Thomkins, whom Bernie affectionately nicknamed “Babygirl.” She’s definitely Bernie’s favorite throughout the series’ run even though she has a tendency to be pretty bratty. Davis landed a couple other acting parts on “ER” and “Strong Medicine,” but she’s still very much in the public eye.

She’s very active on Instagram, where she proudly posts pictures of her two kids. That’s right; Babygirl has a baby girl (and boy) of her own. However, her Instagram largely sees her at the gym or on vacation. And for anyone who wants to see yet another side of her, she’s also on OnlyFans.

Davis made a triumphant return to the Fox network in 2024 with an appearance on the game show, “I Can See Your Voice,” where judges have to determine who the best singer without hearing them ever sing (only lip-sync). As of right now, it doesn’t seem like she has any more plans to pop up in TV shows, but as a mom to two kids, she has plenty to keep her busy.

Vanessa Thomkins, played by Camille Winbush, was the oldest child and the one most likely to give Bernie a headache. She was rebellious, but audiences could always tell she was a good kid who just wanted to make sure her siblings had the best upbringing possible — something she had to go without.

Winbush continued acting, booking roles in “Criminal Minds” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” She also landed a high-profile role on “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” as Lauren Treacy, a role she had across all five seasons of that show. There have been a few other TV and film appearances over the years, but Winbush has followed the same path as Dee Dee Davis and started an OnlyFans for herself.

Winbush faced some backlash for joining that platform and explained to HYPE+ in 2024 how little money she still gets from “Bernie Mac Show” residuals: “Twenty years later, those checks are not sustainable for a living,” she said. “With the industry being as fickle as it is, you can’t count on any job to last or even to book.” She added that she’s worked many jobs since “The Bernie Mac Show” ended, including teaching gymnastics and even owning an ice cream shop. She’s simply one of many child stars who went on to have normal jobs as an adult.

Reginald Ballard broke out with a recurring role as Brother Man on the ’90s sitcom, “Martin.” Beginning in 2001, he moved on to play W.B., one of Bernie’s closest friends, on “The Bernie Mac Show” where he’s frequently found playing poker with his buddies.

Ballard continued getting acting work over the years, largely with small roles on TV series like “Just Jordan,” “Weeds,” and “Rizzoli & Isles.” Most recently, he’s gotten into podcast work with a recurring gig on the 2023 show “Rich People’s Business.” It’s understandable he’s been keeping a lower profile considering the health scare he had in the early 2020s.

Ballard was diagnosed with kidney disease and had to go on dialysis for eight months. Amazingly, his wife, Edith, donated one of her kidneys so that he could get a replacement. Basically, she donated one of her kidneys to someone in need in exchange for Ballard receiving one that was a better match for him. It’s a courageous story and a good reminder to get regular health check-ups, especially for anyone noticing new swelling around the ankles and hands.

Chuy is another one of Bernie’s poker buddies, and in the first two episodes, he’s actually played by Carlos Mencia, future star of “Mind of Mencia” who would later be called out for allegedly stealing jokes. That happened quite a while after his “Bernie Mac Show” appearances, and for unknown reasons, he was swapped out with Lombardo Boyar for the remainder of the show’s run.

To be honest, “The Bernie Mac Show” is a pretty small blip on Boyar’s overall filmography. He’s done a ton of things before and after, and you might recognize his voice from myriad animated projects, from “Rocket Power” to Pixar’s “Coco.” Most recently, he starred in the third season of the Netflix series “The Lincoln Lawyer,” as well as the Prime Video movie, “Candy Cane Lane.”

Boyar has also been open about the challenges of making a living as an actor. The El Paso Times caught up with him when he gave advice to community college students about doing what he loves. “I was making close to $400,000 a year [on ‘Murder in the First’],” he explained. “So, if I made that much money and am broke now, that would be really bad. I invested it and I saved it and I’m not freaking out for my next job.” Given how booked he is, that next job never seems too far out of the way.
Michael Ralph rounds out Bernie’s trio of friends as Kelly. There’s a good chance if you haven’t heard of Michael Ralph before, you’re at least familiar with his sister, Sheryl Lee Ralph, who’s currently killing it on “Abbott Elementary.” Sheryl Lee Ralph has a legendary Broadway background and even won an Emmy for her work on “Abbott.”

As for Michael Ralph, his career largely consists of voiceover work following “The Bernie Mac Show.” He had brief parts in “Drake and Josh Go Hollywood” and “Numb3rs” where he’s physically seen on screen, but for the most part, he’s using his voice to great effect on some incredible TV shows. As of late, it really seems like he has an in with Disney, as he’s provided additional voices for “X-Men ’97” and “Skeleton Crew,” and he’s also listed for a few episodes of “Arcane.” Voiceover artists deserve all the respect in the world, and you’ve likely heard Ralph without even realizing it.

If Jordan and Bryana weren’t causing trouble at school, there’s a good chance they were doing it at Damien Elementary, where they ran afoul of the dean, Father Sean Cronin, played by Wade Williams. He’s a fascinating figure, as he claims to be a devout servant of God but regularly smokes and curses, and Williams brings an appropriate level of menace to him.

Williams has been a great character actor going back to the 1990s where he’s been in everything from “Walker, Texas Ranger” to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Toward the tail-end of “The Bernie Mac Show,” he landed a prominent part on another Fox series, “Prison Break,” as Brad Bellick. His most recent project was “The Last Manhunt” in 2022, which stars Jason Momoa and Lily Gladstone. Things have been quiet on Williams’ front over the last couple of years, with no real news about what his next project could be, but given how busy he’s been, it makes sense if he just needs a break.

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